JNC Youth Workers Pay Claim for 2023

The Staff Side of the Youth and Community Workers Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC)
has submitted a pay and conditions claim for 2023. The claim was agreed by the Staff
Side, following consultations by the four unions of their respective memberships. The four
unions on the JNC Staff Side are UNISON, Unite, UCU and the NEU.
The full claim is attached, and the headline demands are as follows:
• An increase of RPI plus 2% across all grades
• A recruitment and retention payment for all JNC staff of £1,000 per year in place
until the completion of the grading matrix review
• Address work-life balance and time off in lieu – by making the current guidance on
work-life balance mandatory, to ensure compensatory leave (TOIL) is always
accrued for extra hours worked
• Each working week should contain two consecutive days that are designated as
nonworking days. Any TOIL for residential work will be completely separate from
these designated non-working days
• Move to a 35-hour working week without loss of pay – with sufficient time for
planning and admin, with a further commitment to work towards a four-day week,
without loss of pay, going forward
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• Further work and completion of the race and gender pay gaps in youth work review
• Amend the agreement to include youth work employers covered by contracts, grant
aid and any other local authority funding arrangements
• Joint working to promote the JNC in the voluntary sector
We anticipate a formal response from the Employer’s Side in due course, with an outline
of a timescale for consultations and a commitment to meaningful negotiation with the Staff
Side. We will keep branches informed of any developments as negotiations progress.